SOLUTION: A car traveling at 48 mph overtakes a cyclist who, riding at 12 mph, had a 3-hour head start. How far from the starting point does the car overtake the cyclist?
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Question 1151925: A car traveling at 48 mph overtakes a cyclist who, riding at 12 mph, had a 3-hour head start. How far from the starting point does the car overtake the cyclist? Answer by ikleyn(52787) (Show Source):
Let d be the distance under the question.
The time spent by the car to overtake the cyclist is hours, starting from the car' start.
The time spent by the cyclist is hours.
Both times are the same
=
d = 4*(d-36)
d = 4d - 144
144 = 4d - d
144 = 3d
d = 144/3 = 48 miles. ANSWER
